– India Pale Ale / By John Clarke
India Pale Ale. Three short words and so much controversy. What’s all the fuss about? In a word, “authenticity”. From time to time the beer blogosphere, newsgroups and forums will be racked with argument about what makes an “authentic” IPA. So, what is an authentic IPA – and more to the point does it matter?
As a style, IPA has been around for over 200 years now. Books have been written about its origins but suffice it to say this was a beer originally designed to survive a six month sea voyage from the UK to the British colonies in India. It is one of this country’s greatest and enduring contributions to the world of beer and is now brewed across the globe in all manner of variations. Which brings us back to “authenticity”. (more…)
– Event / International IPA Day – Thursday 4th August
International #IPADay is a grassroots movement created to unite the voices of craft beer enthusiasts, bloggers, and brewers worldwide, using social media as the common arena for connecting the conversation together.
On Thursday August 4th, craft beer drinkers across the social sphere and across the globe will raise pints in a collective toast to one of craft beer’s most iconic styles: the India Pale Ale. This celebrated style represents the pinnacle of brewing innovation with its broad spectrum of diverse brands, subcategories, and regional flavour variations – making it the perfect style to galvanise the craft beer’s social voice.
We will be stocking special IPAs from Summer Wine, Flying Dog, Thornbridge, Great Divide, Magic Rock, Victory, Stone (TBC) and Brew Dog.
– Event / ‘Meet The Brewer’ with Thornbridge (updated)
‘Meet The Brewer’ with Thornbridge
Monday 22nd August / 6pm – 8pm (bar open until 10pm)
£8 advance tickets (on sale now)
On Monday 22nd August we have another one of our favourite brewers hosting an evening of exclusive tastings and informative chats. The other month we all went on a staff day out to Thornbridge Brewery, its was really exciting, so much so we invited them back to our place! They tell us they get asked all the time to organise meet the brewer events, but they tend to turn them down, so please treat this as an extra special event for Manchester!
Port Street will be presenting some exclusive brews from Thornbridge, including casks:
Seaforth – 5.9% (English IPA)
Summer Ale – 5.1% (with Sage and Ginger)
Geminus – 8.5% (a big, new bold Double IPA from Thornbridge)
Barley Wine – (abv to be confirmed)
The tickets gets you four halves of lovely beer and the chance to have a cheeky lock in after the event, as we aren’t normally open on Mondays.
Grab your ticket now!
– Event / ‘Meet The Brewer’ with Flying Dog
‘Meet The Brewer’ with Flying Dog head brewer Matt Brophy
Wednesday 3rd August / 6pm – 8pm
£7 advance tickets (on sale NOW)
With just 50 tickets, this will be a great event with talks and tastings from head brewer Matt Brophy. The ticket includes first sample of ‘Centennial Single Hop Imperial IPA’ cask, one half of draught and two half bottles! Bargain!
Tickets are available from the bar or over the phone via card payment on 0161 237 9949
/ Flying Dog brewery info
In 1983, a series of events in the Himalayas involving under prepared hikers, an unfaithful Sherpa, a scared-shitless donkey, and quickly consumed contraband led to the creation of the Flying Dog philosophy.
That’s right, philosophy. It wasn’t until 1990 that beer came into the picture. From a brewpub in Aspen, Colorado to a full-fledged Denver brewery, and then to a state-of-the-art brewing facility in Frederick, Maryland, Flying Dog stands for not only extraordinary beer, but also for standing tall, doing great things, and not letting anyone make you eat shit.
For the past 20 years, they’ve done just that. they produce world-class craft beers and continue to push the envelope with experimental brews and limited-edition one-offs. All the while, we continuously pay homage to our Gonzo Godfathers – George Stranahan, Hunter S. Thompson, and Ralph Steadman. Most importantly, they have a lot of fun doing it. And we never take ourselves too seriously.